Fisher Cat

Last night Todd and I were getting ready to go to sleep and all of a sudden we hear what sounds like a child being tortured. It freaked me out and Todd did some checking, couldn't find anything, therefore, SHUT ALL THE WINDOWS!

We have also had something knocking down the bird house, and that happened again last night, but this morning I couldn't find the top half of the birdhouse. All that is left is the pole and I am too afraid to go looking in the woods!

I took Brynn to a birthday party today and was telling one of the dads about this and he told me that it sounded like a fisher cat. I haven't really heard of these before other than he sparked my memory that my neighbor told me to be careful at night especially if I have animals that I am walking because she had a run in with one.

I did some research and this is what they look like and a brief description from the web:

New England Fisher cats are one of the largest members of the Mustelid family, which includes species like the mink, weasel, otter and skunk. These are noted nocturnal animals and therefore very hard to observe. They are however active during both daytime as ell as night time and that too, mostly during the time just before sunset and just before sunrise, when it mainly searches for food. Their cry is similar to that of a high pitched one of a child’s and therefore can sound very eerie in the nights.

Creepy!!! I won't be walking any dogs late at night! Good thing I don't have one!

1. finding out that a child isn't being tortured outside

2. new discoveries

3. the weekend!

School's Out!!!!!

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks!

(my kids better not get the dirty looks)

1. no more school

2. sleeping in tomorrow

3. no more schedules

4. VACATION!!!

Happy Anniversary

to us.......

We have been on the East Coast for 1 year today!

1. adventures

2. living in a beautiful part of the country

3. only 1 more early morning!

8th Grade Promotion

It is almost unbelievable..........Braden is going to High School.

We can't believe how fast this year has gone by

Braden is gradiated!(yes, I meant to spell it this way, that is what Brynn said)

Braden and his friend EZ. EZ is an awesome kid, he is extremely nice and he received several awards today.

After the promotion ceremony

Proud Papa and his boy

This video is kind of funny. It is the Vice-Principal reading Braden's name, but he calls him Brandon.

It has been a fun day. I can't believe what a great kid Braden is. He received a couple of awards which I will take pictures of and post later. Braden, Brynn and I went to lunch, did a little shopping and now we are off to music lessons.

1. Braden

2. last day of middle school

3. tomorrow being the last day of school for the year!!!

Brynn

Friday evening we went down to Rhode Island to a use it again sports store(we haven't been able to find anything like it close to us and this place was only 15 minutes from Todd's work). Braden is going to Lacrosse camp next week and needed some gear.

On the way home Brynn wanted to try one Braden's helmet.....

it's a little big!

1. Brynn

2. fun times

3. laughter

North Adams

Todd's speaking assignment for High Council today was in North Adams MA. The branch is about 2.5 hours from our house and they meet in a section of the Holiday Inn. It was crazy small~about 47 people total including us!

After church a family wanted to take us to see Brigham Young's birthplace in Vermont, which is on their way home from church.

This is the plaque in front of a house(I don't think it was Brigham Young's house).

This is a sign which would make me think I was in Utah, not Vermont.

This is another plaque about Brigham Young

This is the view on a cloudy day from the plaque above.

This bridge was unlike one we have really seen before. There is a stop light on each side because only one car can fit on the bridge. It really was awesome!

We had a very long day, Todd had stake meetings after church, which he was late for, because we were told these stops were on the way. We dropped Todd off at his meetings and made it home by about 4:30. Fortunately all the kids fell asleep in the car, they were up at 6:30 to get ready and leave.

It does make me grateful for things such as a church building!

1. new experiences

2. meeting new people

3. church sights

Really???

Have you ever

had an IDIOT moment???

Let me tell you about my day.......

Wake up~6:12 am

Get in shower

Get ready and get kids ready and off to school

8:30~teachers from the school pick up my BBQ grill

8:40~leave to drop Brynn off at my/her friends house(thanks again)

9:00~go to Marissa's school to drop off a book I thought she left at home

turns out it was a sample book that her teacher gave her.

Stay and help teacher for 30 minutes.

9:30~Braden's school for 8th grade cookout

BBQ 240 hamburgers 200 hotdogs

I STINK

12:20~Last minute well check for Braden so he can go to Lacrosse Camp

1:00 take Braden back to school so he can finish Field Day

1:30 Pick up Brynn from friends house

2:00 head to Wal-Mart to get a birthday gift for Brynn's friend's party from school

2:50 rush home to get Marissa off the bus, bus is late, doesn't come until 3:15

RUSH home to wrap present for party that starts at 3:30

3:24 leave for party

take several wrong turns

3:33 Knock on door at party~babysitter answers door with a quizzical look on her face

HELLO IDIOT!!! I didn't read the invitation~party is NEXT FRIDAY!!

In my defense, I saw the mom at school a few weeks ago and she told me to hold open the Friday after school gets out for the party, I guess she didn't mean when the preschool gets out, she meant when all the kids get out.

1. mom not being home

2. babysitter not knowing who I am

3. THE WEEKEND

Recent Painting Project

BEFORE.....

the main paint color is green

AFTER......

now it is a bluish grey

And I LOVE IT!!!!

1. a new paint color

2. making it my own

3. not taking too much time to do a project

Excitement

This is what the kids put in a jar several days ago. It was lost in the jar for a day or two and I didn't like that idea. So I was searching the jar and...........
This is what I found. Not a great picture, but it is a cocoon.
Hopefully it will turn into a beautiful butterfly!


1. small things to excite the kids
2. nature
3. a little creature not being loose in my house

Brynn's Last Day of Preschool

Preschool is over for the summer!!! It was an exciting morning. We were a little late getting there, OK, not really. I had called the school this morning to see what time the program started and they told me 10. I decided to get on the treadmill, take a shower, etc. I got a call from the school as I was walking out the door telling me Brynn was absent from school today. When I got to the school at 9:55, they were starting and Brynn was the last one there. Come to find out, she was supposed to go to school at regular time and I was supposed to go at 10! Anyway, we made it and she had a great time!

Brynn and her teacher Mrs. Pinheiro~one of the best teachers ever!
Brynn getting her certificate!

This is Mr. Joel. He is awesome. He and some other teachers started a band and now go to schools teaching about being your best self. The kids absolutely loved him.

1. preschool being done

2. 6 more days of school for the other kids

3. not crying in the program!!!!

A Great Story

This is a great story....


http://wcco.com/local/doctors.prom.promise.2.1003297.html

Mother of the Year Award Goes To.......................

ME!!!!!

Can you see much of a difference in this labeling??

I know by now I should be noticing the differences. I was shopping at Whole Foods

(yuck, I know, but it is the only place to buy a lot of GF food), and I had Brynn with me and she was tired after school and I was in a hurry to pick up Brandon from school to have his wrist

X-rayed(4th time to the doctor for me this week~with my kids actually) and saw a new flavor of french toast sticks. I picked them up and was excited to see they could be put in the microwave! Should have been my biggest clue. I threw them in the cart and went on my way! Got home, told Brandon about them, we were both excited about the microwave!!

He ate them for breakfast this morning.

He thought they tasted good.

Got to church~just fine.

10 minutes to Sacrament Meeting, kids tell me Brandon is in the bathroom.

Time for the meeting to start~no Brandon

Fortunately, Todd is at church with me today so I send him to check on him.

Todd comes back~

Brandon is in the bathroom vomiting.

NOT GOOD

My poor son is currently asleep in his bed, us having to leave church after him spending over an hour in the bathroom at church. Finally got him to be able to get up, covered the car in plastic, took some Ziploc bags from the kitchen at church and drove home a bit above the speed limit!

Only one small thing in the bag on the way home.

Mother of the Year Award is being given to me today!!!

I will definately look at those products more closely. They have them right next to each other. Ones with wheat right next to ones without!

1. bathrooms

2. flushable toilets

3. Todd being at church to take over(I don't do well with vomit)

(He is at the church cleaning up the bathroom, never fear!)

Memorial Day

We spent part of our Memorial Day a little different than we ever have before.

There was a little parade in town and we went to watch that, following the parade people met in the town common and there were many military men there and they had a little presentation.

The flags are at half staff(mast). They left them there as they read the names of the men from Northbridge who died in the wars.
Douglas High School Marching Band playing Taps.

This man was a soldier in WWII. He was the oldest military present.

The flags being raised.

Young and old military men and the boys.

After the parade, we spent a few hours at home and then went to a BBQ with some friends.

All in all, a great Memorial Day.

1. Memorial Day

2. soldiers

3. nice weather

Talent Show

Last night our youth in our ward had a talent show. Our wonderful Bishop was the only adult who participated. He was such a good sport! This is Braden, his friend Donovan and our Bishop!

I had to do this in two parts.....it was a bit long...it is also a bit bumpy, I was laughing and I am not a good videographer!

1. talents

2. brave kids

3. rain

The Wedding!!!

The wedding was beautiful. The morning started out really nice, but come time for the wedding, the weather didn't want to cooperate. It was still decent weather.

The wedding took place at Waters Farm in Sutton, MA

The scenery was beautiful.(I know I need another adjective, but it was beautiful!)

Brian, Braden, Allen, Eric and Brandon

(Brian and Eric are Ashley's brothers)
Ashley and her Court
Marissa and Brynn were the Flower Girls

My girls had to keep Ashley from crying, that was their job before the ceremony.

Todd performed the ceremony. No, he is not a Justice of the Peace, or a minister, but in the state of MA, anyone can have a license to perform a marriage for the day.

Ashley and Joe

The Groomsmen

The Bridesmaids

The Ceremony

Exchanging rings

Husband and Wife

The Happy Couple and the Flower Girls

Ashley, Brynn and Marissa

Preacher and the Couple

Ashley and her cute yellow shoes

The gorgeous bouquet.

Joe's side of the family

Joe and Ashley

The first dance

Father/Daughter Dance

Mother/Son Dance

Brynn and Danika grooving on the dance floor

Danika, Kylie and Brynn on the dance floor

Brynn loved the dancing. Braden was being a good big brother and danced with her.

Aunt Shauna and Uncle Joe dancing with the girls

Trying to dance with Brandon

Marissa and Danika

Todd and Marissa dancing

Allen dancing with the girls

Brandon with Alejandra

Marissa finally dancing with Brian

Brynn loved Ashley's friends. She was not at all shy. I think she danced with almost every single one of them!

It was a fun, wonderful day. It was so fun to have all the family in town, thanks to everyone who made the trip out. I know it meant a lot to Ashley and the rest of the family!

We love you Ashley and Joe! Congrats!

1. the wedding

2. love

3. family